Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Dan Rogerson Excerpts
Monday 16th April 2012

(12 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Hayes Portrait Mr Hayes
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Absolutely, and that is why this Government have placed unprecedented emphasis on quality. I repeat—for the sake of clarity, Mr Speaker; no more than that—that we have said that all apprenticeships should be on an employed basis. The last Government did not do that. They believed in programme-led apprenticeships —faux apprenticeships from a faux Government.

Dan Rogerson Portrait Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall) (LD)
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Through the youth contracts and apprenticeship programmes, which the Minister has already mentioned, the Government have demonstrated their commitment to tackling these problems. Is the Minister working with Departments across Government to ensure that those programmes reach into the most deprived urban neighbourhoods, and also isolated rural communities?

John Hayes Portrait Mr Hayes
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My work across Government is constant—almost endless. In particular, we are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions. Of course, I am a Minister in two Departments—I am not just a one-Department man, but a two-Department man—so the relationship between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Education and the DWP is critical to ensuring that our skills policy works across Departments.